King County Receives Nearly $14 Million For Local Parks And Trails

King County communities will receive nearly $14 million from the state’s Recreation and Conservation Funding Board to improve parks, build trails, and expand outdoor access as part of a statewide $148 million grant package supporting recreation, conservation, farming, and forestry.

“These grants are critical to keeping Washington a premiere destination for outdoor adventure as well as a great place for Washingtonians to live,” said Megan Duffy, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office, which supports the board. “The grants help communities light ball fields, make parks accessible to people with disabilities, connect gaps in trail systems, refurbish pools, and resurface pickleball courts.”

In total, the board awarded 242 grants in 35 counties, with King County receiving nearly $14 million for a range of projects. Among the funded initiatives are efforts in Seattle, Tukwila, and Covington to create new green spaces, renovate parks, and improve trail and river access across the region.

In Seattle, $500,000 will go toward developing Lake City Floodplain Park, an underserved area along Thornton Creek. The city plans to build loop pathways, boardwalks, bridges, viewpoints, and seating areas for picnicking and socializing. The park will transform land once occupied by two houses into green space, enhancing recreation in a neighborhood that has long experienced limited investment.

Seattle also received two grants to renovate Hutchinson Park in Rainier Beach. One $500,000 grant will fund a new playground, accessible pathways, picnic shelters, and lighting. The second, for $968,215, will renovate the 2.7-acre playfield, repairing drainage to make it usable throughout the year. Plans include converting one softball field into two soccer fields, resurfacing basketball and tennis courts, and creating pickleball and basketball half-courts. Community advocacy for these upgrades intensified after a 2020 shooting prompted residents to organize for safer, more welcoming park spaces.

Tukwila will receive $1,071,830 to create a canoe launch and riverside recreation amenities at Tukwila Community Center Park. The city plans to regrade the slope for river access, install log seating, renovate trails and boardwalks, build a viewing tower overlooking the Duwamish River, and add picnic structures for gatherings and cold season play.

Covington secured nearly $1.94 million to begin developing the Jenkins Creek Trail. The project will acquire trail easements and build a paved trail connecting State Route 516 to Southeast 264th Place, linking neighborhoods, schools, shopping centers, health facilities, and Jenkins Creek Park.

“These grants are key to building great communities,” Duffy said. “Recreation not only is important to Washington’s economy, but to the health of the people who recreate here. Countless studies have shown that spending time outside

can improve a person’s physical and mental health, reduce stress, and even improve eyesight. It also does so much for our kids, including helping them improve their social connections and school grades.”

Statewide, the board received 411 applications requesting more than $266 million, with just over half of the projects receiving funding. In addition to recreation, grants will help cities, counties, Tribes, and state agencies conserve undeveloped areas for wildlife, protect forests, and maintain farmland.

“Washington is known for its great outdoor spaces and its legacy of farming and forestry,” Duffy said. “As Washington’s population grows, if we don’t conserve that land now, it won’t be there to continue those legacies.”